This reading is from the One Year Chronological Reading Plan is 1 Samuel 23:13-29, Psalm 54, 1 Samuel 24-25
NOTE: So sorry! I'm way off here. I just wrote all this and realized that this passage is for Saturday (today) and no one posted a post for today so that threw me off. I all ready wrote it though and I'm honestly not feeling well enough to read, study and write on what is truly Sunday's passages (1 Samuel 26-27:7; 1 Chronicles 12:1-7; 1 Samuel 27:8-29:11; 1 Chronicles 12:19; Psalm 56 ). So if you want to share anything for those you can comment that here too. I'll try to double check next time in case a day has been missed. I'll blame it on my head cold like I have been a lot of things today lol:) NOW, if someone gets on here TODAY and writes a VERY LATE Saturday post then I'll really have egg on my face! (at least it's good for my humility complexion:)
So, here is one for Saturday's readings! Ha.
The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.' "
It's interesting how many people assume what the Lord's will is in these passages. We've seen Saul use the Lords name in his dealings as well and we know what he was doing was not blessed of the Lord. David is a true leader, he does not let men define God for Him, he goes to God for that and is careful to listen to conviction from God. "Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe." He almost believed the men because it did all line up circumstantially didn't it!? His conviction is that God is the judge of Saul and will bring about his will with him. His heart was bent on being a God-pleaser not a man-pleaser. "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." Even the men with him were good faithful men, yet what they said was not right upon examination.
I think David's attitude toward Saul is amazing at this moment. How many times we are tempted to vent disrespectfully for one in authority whom God has put over us. We may totally disagree and they may be legitimately ungodly in many of their ways but that is a different matter than taking vengeful attitude or action toward them. Our very lives are not even threatened as David's was. Still, when he has the opportunity to save himself he remembers that the Lord brings a man up and HE will bring him down when it's God's timing. This was a great deal harder than it sounds. David's submission looks like it's to Saul but it really is to God. He chooses not to work to make things happen, he chooses to faithfully wait on the Lord.
Saul is broken as a result. He seems to have an emotional let down. One starts to really see that all his anger and venting have really been anger at himself for not obeying God. He knows perfectly well of David's innocence and loyalty, he has been taking his own issues out on David.
Chapter 25 is a beautiful story. I'm not sure exactly why (I have a bad head cold and my head is full of fluff so my deep thoughts are rather rare this evening), perhaps you had some observations to share. I think I just love Abigail. She was noble enough to know when a woman should take matters into her own hands. She even goes so far as to call her husband "worthless". This is not a disrespectfull woman disin' her husband, she has been put to the point of choosing what was right over following the wrong her husband did. She, in great integrity asks to bear the responsibility for the lack of care David and his men have been shown. You can almost see and hear the respect in David's observance of her. Her husband gets his due when he is struck with what seems to be a heart attack and dies 10 days later. David asks for her to marry him and it makes a sweet little ending to the story.
At the very end of the passages we find out something sad. Michal has been given to another man! What?! How awful. It let's us see how continually awful Saul has been on every level. We are heartbroken hearing this knowing that Michal loved David so. We will hear the end of this soon however. Although I cannot imagine in my little world view, a decent man loving more than one woman, he truly does seem to love them.
Tomorrow's (Monday's) readings are 1 Samuel 30:1-31; 1 Chronicles 12:20-22; 1 Samuel 31:1-13; 1 Chronicles 10:1-14; 1 Chronicles 9:40-44; 2 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 1:1-27
While we are discussing confusion, can everyone confirm the days they are filling in? I think I'm doing the 21st but I never got confirmation of that. I don't want to mess things up even more.
9 comments:
Tammy's got the posting list on the sidebar updated with everyone's posts right up till the 28th.
I love Abigail, too ~ my second daughter's named after her!! Such a wise, servant-hearted woman!
oh, thanks.
Oh, I see Pamela was on for today. I hope she was not just posting really late...oh, well.
Thanks for posting today Mrs Oz. Sorry for the confusion, I should've been more clear. I'm not sure why Pam didn't post today, I'll try to message her and see if tomorrow works. And, if not, well, feel free to discuss or we'll just miss a day.
Thanks again to everybody for filling in for me.
I appreciated your thoughts on today's passage Alicia. I really like Abigail too. It makes me wonder how/why she was married to her husband in the first place - though I know women had little/no say in that in those days.
More than likely it was an arranged marriage. That's the only way I can imagine a man like Nabal getting a woman so far above his station. ;)
It says Nabal was a Cabelite. The Ziphites were also descendants of Caleb. What a shame that the descendants of such a noble man behaved in such a shameful manner.
Notes from the Lutheran Study Bible for chapter 24:
David's compassion for vulnerable Saul is motivated by respect for God and His anointed. It is met warmly by Saul, resulting in a temporary truce. today, be ready to show compassion even to your enemies, as God in Christ has demonstrated His undeserved love to you.
For chapter 25: Abigail intervenes between David and Nabal, rescuing both from their anger. Angry decisions lead to self-destruction. God calls us to listen to the voice of reason and peace. His wisdom and peace, expressed in the godly counsel of His servants, will guide your heart in the way of life.
I belong to a discussion board where there are women who are so into wifely submission that they criticize Abigail and her betrayal of Nabal. Methinks they're a bit too in love with the Law and neglect the Gospel, represented by Abigail's willingness to sacrifice herself and bear the responsibility for Nabal's ungrateful behavior.
i agree because webare all called to honor God first and not obey any man whose actions are disshonorable.
lol...i'm typing from my kids Wii and it's not easy.
I agree, that is so sad that such a man was a Calebite!
One thing I wonder is that Abigail was able to convince David to break his "vow". It doesn't specifically say he made a vow, but it does say "may God deal with me be it ever so severly if..." which sounds like a vow to me. And breaking this rash statement made in anger seems to be the right thing to do. I wonder how this compares to (can't remember his name at the moment) vow to sacrifice the first thing out of his door, which ended up being his daughter. Any thoughts?
I've read somewhere (need to double check with reliable pastors) that he wouldn't have actually killed his daughter. God doesn't require human sacrifices. She does say she wants to go and mourn her virginity, or something to that effect. So I'm thinking she ended up being dedicated to God, probably remaining unmarried in her father's house, rather than allowed to marry and have a family. But, like I said, I'd have to check it out. Think I'll go do that right now. ;)
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